Spurrier wins finale against Campo's Cowboys

Which team has a better chance of developing into a playoff contender next year?
It depends on who the Dallas coach is next year. Dave Campo is done, I believe, and Bill Parcells would be a good fit. The Cowboys need a situation where the players are accountable to the coach first and not the owner. If the Cowboys get Parcells, they probably have a better chance to develop into a playoff contender next season, because he's a proven winner.

Eric Allen played cornerback for 14 NFL seasons with the Eagles, Saints and Raiders.

In the Washington locker room, Steve Spurrier gave the game ball
to Dan Snyder. But Spurrier wasn't happy about a messy win over a
bad team, and the owner got a souvenir to remind him of his first
losing season.

In the Dallas locker room, Dave Campo talked about the game as
if it were any other, even as Jerry Jones said a decision was
coming "immediately'' about the coach's future.

In a nine-turnover game with many sideshows, the Redskins (7-9)
ended a 10-game losing streak to their fiercest rival Sunday. LaVar Arrington scored one touchdown and set up another with a pair of
fumble recoveries in a 20-14 victory over the Cowboys.

"Obviously their coach is probably going to be canned
tomorrow,'' Spurrier said. "He knows it, and so its hard to get
his team really riled up to play. We had a chance to beat them
pretty good, but we allowed them to stay in the game.

"It's hard for me to get excited. I know they've beaten us a
lot, so don't get me wrong. They're still a 5-11 team three years
in a row. Sometimes we maybe give Dallas too much credit, you know
what I mean?''

It was Washington's first win over Dallas since Oct. 13, 1997,
and it came amid a farewell party for retiring cornerback Darrell Green and tenuous futures in Dallas for coach Campo and running
back Emmitt Smith. There were so many distractions that Campo said
last week that if the Redskins didn't win this time, "they may
never beat the Cowboys again in the history of the game of
football.''

Snyder got his first victory over the Cowboys since buying the
Redskins team in 1999. Spurrier had promised to give Snyder the
game ball whenever the Redskins (7-9) finally broke the losing
streak.

Spurrier made the presentation immediately after the game, but
the players said it was nothing special.

"Everybody knew he was getting it, so it's not like it was some
secret or surprise,'' guard Tre Johnson said.

Dallas stayed in the game because of five Redskins turnovers and
two big scoring plays by rookies. Roy Williams had an 85-yard
interception return, and Antonio Bryant had a 46-yard TD catch in a
seven-catch, 170-yard performance.

The Cowboys finished 5-11 for the third time in Campo's three
years as coach. Jones has met with Campo's possible replacement,
Bill Parcells, twice in the last two weeks.

Jones said this has been his "most disappointing year'' as an
owner. Asked when a decision will be made on Campo's future, he
said: "Immediately.''

"When I said immediately, I'm talking about not here in the
dressing room, but when I'm away from the stadium and as we go into
tomorrow and the next day,'' Jones said.

Smith could be on his way out of Dallas because of salary cap
issues. If so, the league's all-time leading rusher went out
sputtering, gaining a season-low 13 yards on 18 carries. He
finished with 975 yards on the season, failing to reach 1,000 for
the first time since his rookie year.

Smith said it was a "huge distraction'' this week.

"I do want to play next year. I don't care if it's in a Dallas
Cowboys uniform or anywhere else,'' Smith said.

"I still want to play the game of football because I still feel
like I can. Once the evaluation process goes on with the Cowboys
and so on, they're going to find out that I'm not the problem. I'm
not the problem. We have a lot more problems than just a
33-year-old running back.''

Green said goodbye after 20 seasons with the Redskins. The
42-year-old cornerback cried during a pregame ceremony. His game
highlight was a 30-yard run on a punt return after taking a handoff
from Champ Bailey.

The only touchdown drive of the first half was just 24 yards
long, coming after Renaldo Wynn forced Chad Hutchinson to fumble on
a sack. Arrington recovered, and Kenny Watson scored on a 5-yard
run four plays later.

The Cowboys tied it late in the first half on rookie Williams'
return, the second he's run back this season. The first came
against Washington on Thanksgiving Day.

The Redskins scored again when Bruce Smith blindsided
Hutchinson, forcing a fumble that rolled into the end zone.
Arrington recovered for the touchdown.

It was Smith's 195th career sack, leaving him three behind
Reggie White's all-time record.

The Redskins also had two touchdowns negated. Ladell Betts'
27-yard TD run was overturned when the replay showed he was
stripped by Ebenezer Ekuban at the 1-yard line. Bryan Johnson
recovered a fumble on a kickoff and ran 12 yards for an apparent
score, but several Redskins ran on the field before the play was
over. The team was penalized for too many men on the field.